Sun City, Arizona, is a town near Phoenix with a population of over 37,000 retired residents all living there. The community is renowned for being a senior citizens’ paradise. When London-based photographer Todd Antony recently visited the town, he met ‘The Sun City Poms’, the town’s cheerleading squad. They formed in 1979, recruiting 55-year-olds (and older!) to support the Sun City Saints women’s softball team. Today, the group entertains at around 50 shows per year.
Antony says on his blog: “While I was [in Sun City] I couldn’t help but think that with the American obsession for child beauty pageants, you have one age group of society trying to grow up way too fast, while at the other end of the age scale another group strives to hold back the years in some way. And does a pretty damn good job of it really.”
The Poms say of themselves that they represent the fulfillment of life at any age. They add: “Performing with spunk and energy of their youths, these ladies share positive aspects of retirement and aging, and shatter conventional images of “senior citizens.”
What I love about the women in the pictures are the grace, beauty and great sense of pride and energy they exude.